1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems for mounting electronic equipment such as data communication equipment used by small businesses and homes on a wall space.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Existing data communication equipment for small business and home products is typically mounted on a wall as single units. Each unit is contained in a housing which is placed flat against the wall and attached thereto by screws or the like. When more than one item of digital communication equipment is mounted on the wall, they are simply individually mounted side-by-side in the same area. This often requires more wall space than is readily available and provides an undesirable space problem for the customer and the equipment provider. This space problem is magnified when the footprint of the particular item of digital communication equipment is relatively large.
Another typical prior art arrangement is to simply place the equipment on shelves attached to the wall.
There is, therefore, a need for a system which allows multiple items of digital communication equipment to be mounted in an existing wall space, which system should allow an increased density of digital communication equipment to be mounted in a given wall space. Such a system is provided by the present invention.
The present invention provides an apparatus for mounting electrical equipment on a wall space, which apparatus includes a wall plate adapted to be mounted on the wall. The wall plate includes a hooked lip extending horizontally along an upper portion of the wall plate and defining a downwardly open channel. The apparatus further includes an equipment enclosure, including an upwardly extending hooked hanger complementary to the hooked lip and received in the channel, and having a rear surface engaging the wall plate. The channel has an opening depth less than a forward extension distance of the hooked hanger away from the rear surface so that the equipment enclosure must have its lower end pivoted forward away from the wall plate to remove the equipment enclosure from the wall plate.
The wall plate includes a ground strip mounted thereon. A grounding lug extends from the equipment enclosure into engagement with the ground strip when the enclosure is hung from the hooked lip of the wall plate with the rear surface of the enclosure engaging the wall plate.
The downwardly open channel of the wall plate is a continuous channel and thus, the equipment enclosure may be located at any position along the length of the downwardly open channel.
Multiple equipment enclosures may be hung upon the wall plate.
Additional similar wall plates may be mounted on the wall adjacent the first wall plate to extend the mounting apparatus in a modular fashion.
The equipment enclosure is a shallow flat box which extends outward generally perpendicular to the wall. A communications device or other electrical equipment mounted on a printed circuit board is contained in the shallow box. Preferably, the electrical connections from the equipment extend downward out the bottom of the box, and any visual display components such as LEDs are visible through a window in the front edge of the box. Preferably, the box is vented in its top edge to carry heat away from the equipment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide improved systems for mounting of electrical components on a wall.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of electrical equipment mounting systems having reduced cost.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of electrical equipment mounting systems having reduced size.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of electrical equipment mounting systems having great flexibility of equipment positioning.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an equipment enclosure which can be alternatively mounted either on a wall plate or directly to the wall.
Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a system for mounting electrical apparatus providing an automatic grounding engagement of the apparatus upon mounting of the apparatus.
And another object of the present invention is the provision of an equipment mounting system having cable management systems included therein.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following disclosure when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.